A.D.
(Mother) appeals from the Juvenile Division of the Circuit
Court of Callaway County's order finding that her
daughter, F.D., should be subject to the jurisdiction of the
court and placed in the custody of her ex-husband, the
child's natural father (Father). Mother argues that the
trial court's determination violated her religious
beliefs, and that placement with Father is inappropriate
because Father " abandoned and neglected" the
child. We dismiss the appeal because it is moot.

Mother
is the natural mother of F.D. F.D. lived with Father and
Mother (who were married) until Father left in 2011, at which
point F.D. resided with Mother. On July 3, 2013, the Callaway
County Juvenile Office filed a Petition requesting that F.D.
be placed in protective custody. The Petition alleged that
Mother suffered from a mental condition that rendered her
unable to provide the necessary care for F.D. The juvenile
court found that F.D. was in imminent danger of physical harm
as a result of abuse or neglect, and ordered F.D. placed into
protective custody with the Missouri Children's Division
pending a hearing. Following the protective custody hearing
on July 8, 2013, the juvenile court ordered that F.D. should
remain in protective custody.

The
juvenile court held an adjudication hearing[2] on August 20
and 29,

Page 34

2013. At that hearing, a number of witnesses testified to
Mother's concerning behaviors, including: believing that
someone has poisoned her food; being obsessed with parasites
crawling in her brain; repeatedly calling the police with
unsubstantiated claims of foul odors, people being on the
roof, hearing tapping noises, and seeing shadows in the
hallway; believing that items in her bathroom were forcing
other items to change locations; and believing that a baby
wasp and tweezers were mysteriously appearing in and
disappearing from her medicine cabinet. The juvenile court
entered an order of adjudication, finding that Mother was
unable to provide adequate care for F.D.

The
juvenile court then held a disposition hearing, at which
Father testified that he had obtained employment, had a
stable living situation, and was able to care for F.D.
Following the hearing, the juvenile court ordered that F.D.
remain in the custody and supervision of the Children's
Division, but be placed with Father.

Father
subsequently filed for divorce in the Circuit Court of
Washington County. The Juvenile Office and Children's
Division requested that the juvenile court allow the
dissolution court to determine appropriate custody for F.D.
as part of the dissolution proceeding. The juvenile court
allowed the dissolution court to determine custody and
...

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